Current state of art pickling fermentation/salt brining processes have three major negative factors:
1. A very high brine salt content (e.g., for pickling cucumbers the brine is 5-8%, by weight, salt during fermentation, and 8-16% salt during storage). The high brine salt content during storage necessitates a "desalting" step prior to packaging/ shipping, to reduce the salt level to 3-4%. Additionally, brine disposal can harm the environment. Moreover, at 3.5% final salt content, an average piece of pickled cucumber, weighing 3 oz (85 g) contains 2.9 g NaCl. This amount of salt is 50% of the recommended maximum daily intake of salt for adults (6. g). Low salt products of this invention can have an average salt content of 0.8% by weight (i.e. 0.68 g in 3 oz (85 g)) or 77% less than traditional pickles. With the current interest in reducing salt intake, a 70-80% decrease in the salt content of a widely enjoyed group of foods is certainly desirable.
2. An uncontrolled process. Uncertainties inherent in the pickling/fermentation process result in inconsistent product quality and frequently an unmarketable product.
The uncertainties are due to:
(i) natural (or "wild") fermentation. Fermentation can begin before controlled fermentation conditions are established, i.e., salt concentration, pH, buffer capacity, etc. The difficulty in cleaning/sanitatizing green stock is one reason for natural fermentation.
(ii) Enzymatic softening (pectinolytic, etc). During the initial stages of brining/fermentation, the green stock's endogenous enzymes can break-down the green stock's structural components.
(iii) Structural damage and bloating. Microorganisms, initially present in the green stock--i.e., gram positive and negative bacteria, yeasts, oxidative yeasts and molds--release gases which cause most of the structural tissue damage and bloating in the traditional pickling/fermentation process. Additionally, respiration by the green stock itself can produce carbon dioxide and hydrogen.
(iv) Between 5%, in a controlled traditional process, and 40%, in a "natural" traditional fermentation process, of the product is structurally damaged or bloated. The damaged portion is either used to make relish or is a complete loss. Further enzymatic softening and fermentation can occur after "desalting". Pasteurization and/or the addition of chemical preservatives (i.e. Na Benzoate) is required to prevent further enzymatic or fermentative processes once the brine level is reduced in traditional pickling fermentation processes.
3. A complicated and time consuming process. For example, traditional pickling/fermentation of cucumbers involves:
Cleaning the cucumbers with water and chlorine sanitation prior to brining;
Acidification of the green stock (optional);
Nitrogen purging of the green stock (optional);
Salting - concentration between 5-8% salt is added to the pickling solution to adjust the pH of the pickling solution;
Buffering (optional);
Addition of the "fermenting" culture (optional);
Fermentation--may require from 7-12 days to 90 days to complete;
Further salting a 8-16% brine solution is needed to preserve the "pickle" during storage which may last for up to 1 year in general;
"Desalting" prior to being shipped to the consumer, the "pickle" must be "desalted" to reduce the brine product salt content to 3 to 4%;
Packaging the "pickle" in jars or cans; and
Pasteurization.
In contrast, the one step nonfermentative brining process of the present invention reduces or eliminates these negative factors. Thus the process of the present invention provides greater manufacturing economies while producing a more desirable product. Moreover, the process of the present invention can, optionally, be combined with any combination of prior art pickling/ fermentation steps.
For illustrative purposes, the present disclosure sets forth practices and process variables and mechanisms for making "dill pickles" from cucumbers.
Current pickling methods are summarized in the following table:
__________________________________________________________________________ PROCESS VARIABLES MATERIAL STEP LOCATION CONDITION TIME RESULT __________________________________________________________________________ GREEN STOCK WASHING Conveyor Ambient 0.2-0.5 hr CLEAN RAW (pickling 40-90 F MATERIAL cucumbers) CHLORINE SANITIZING* Tank Varies from Tank FERMENTATION 1 to 5 mg/ filling READY GREEN liter time + STOCK 0.5-1 hr ACETIC ACID ACIDIFICA- Tank to pH 3.0 18-24 hrs FERMENTATION TION* Tank CONDITIONING Potassium Sorbate Nitrogen PURGING* Tank Ambient 0.5-1 hr WHOLE FRUIT or AIR 40-90 F TISSUE PROTECTION SALT 1st SALTING Tank to 5-8% 0.5-1 hr. CONDITION- ING AND PROTECTION SODIUM BUFFERING* Tank to pH 5.0 0.5-1 hr FERMENTATION HYDROXIDE CONDITIONING Solution LACTO- CULTURE Tank Ambient 0.1-0.2 hr UNIFORM BACILLUS ADDITION* FERMENTATION PALANTARUM LACTO- FERMENTATION Tank Exterior- 7-12 days DEVELOP BACILLUS ambient to 90 days DESIRABLE PALANTARUM interior PRODUCT changing CHARACTERISTICS SALT 2nd SALTING Tank to 8-16% 0.5-1 hr. CONDITION- ING FOR LONG TERM STORAGE SALT STORAGE Tank Ambient up to 1 PRESERVATION/ temp. year SOFTENING 8-16% salt conc. PREVENTION 0.6% lactic acid 0.2% acetic acid WATER, "DESALTING" Tank to 3-4% 0.5-1.5 hrs. FINISHED SPICES, salt conc. PRODUCT SODIUM BENZOATE PLASTIC/ BULK 55 Gal Ambient Varies by FINISHED WOOD PACKAGING drum processor PRODUCT DRUMS DIFFERENT RETAIL Glass Ambient Varies by FINISHED GLASS SIZE PACKAGING jars or processor PRODUCT JARS or CANS cans FILLING Under vacuum after capping PASTEURIZING Up to 250 F 2.5 min. and/or ADDING PRE- SERVATIVE(S) DURING "DESALTING" __________________________________________________________________________ *Optional